“Drift”: A New Book by Rachel Maddow

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The new book “Drift” by Rachel Maddow is not just for liberals. Sure they like it, but so does Roger Ailes of Fox News who called it “A book worth reading.”

Sitting comfortably atop the NY Times best seller list for the second week in a row, author Rachel Maddow carefully analyzes how and why we go to war. Rachel’s thesis is that the founding fathers wanted all Americans to experience a change in their lives, if the country went to war. Starting with the end of the draft, contractors taking a huge role in our recent conflicts (both in action and finance), reserves being endlessly redeployed, and war taxes being hidden, a much smaller percentage of Americans are actually affected by war.

Rachel carefully examines the politics of war from Vietnam forward. Both Democrat and Republican Presidents have assumed more power over the years in getting around Congress, but it is Congress who has let them do it. They don’t want to take the responsibility for starting a war, or ending it. “Drift” is a good read. I especially liked the section on how the military has marketed itself. Did you know that a very young John Travolta once did persuasive ads for the US Army?

Rachel has degrees from both Stanford and Oxford University. Fans of Rachel’s “snarky” humor will love seeing it mixed in with US history. Quoted in the book,President James Madison said it best,”Of all the enemies to public liberty, war is perhaps the most to be dreaded”.